I thought this was a light & humorous read. If you are looking for a few laughs, read this book.

Three women find out they were married to the same man, at the same time, while attending his funeral. They would have killed him if he wasn’t already dead! Now all three women are suspects in his murder.
None of the women are not happy to make each other's acquaintance. They each decide to spend time at the husband’s cabin in Bootleg. Coincidentally, all three women plan their stay for the same time. They gradually bond over their common situation.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun book, well worth the read! The main character, Kate is an oil heiress, her husband has been murdered and she discovers two other "wives" at the funeral. Trying to take time off, she heads for the cabin her husband owned. The other "wives" have the same idea and the women have to share the cabin for the summer. On top of that, the Detective handling the murder case lives close by and continually pops over to remind all the wives that they are considered suspects. This book is both heartwarming and humorous. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Gutsy, sassy and if they were men you could say they walked with a swagger – an inborn sense of self, confident and smart. No one’s fool but ah ha that’s the rub. Three women all set up by the same con man – all of them thought they were Mrs. Conrad Steele. Only one was correct.

Vintage Carolyn Brown who proves once again that no matter the genre she is the absolute master at creating the best female characters. Whether bartending with western twang and sarcasm dripping of their tongue or high powered corporate executives with sharp tongue and keen intellect – there’s no mistaking a Carolyn Brown woman.

I don’t usually include any quotes from any book I am reviewing but I have to make an exception this one time.
This about sums it up:
“Tell me the truth. Did you find out about those other women before or after he was killed?”
“If I’d known about those other two wives, he wouldn’t have been alive on Thursday to be buying flowers in that shop.”

In short don’t mess with any Carolyn Brown woman and in THE BAREFOOT SUMMER you will meet three women whose paths never would have crossed under any other circumstance. Kate, Jamie and Amanda have good reason to be royally annoyed with recent events that found them in a very compromising position. They meet at the funeral of Conrad Steele. Through Carolyn Brown’s imagery we see the air crackle as these woman discover something too strange to be true. Kate, Jamie and Amanda are all married to Steele. But of course that isn’t possible. Each of them can rationalize Conrad’s road time. They’ve learned to live with a man who spends little time at home.

Sure this should have been a red flag but these women easily justify his absence. After fourteen years Kate had basically little to do with Conrad missing in action most of the time. He was pressing for a divorce so he could get part of her wealth. Kate was all for Conrad getting the divorce. But their pre-nup specifically said he would walk away with what he came to the marriage with – essentially nothing but an inflated ego. Jamie and her daughter Gracie fashioned their lives around a man home one week a month. Sure it bothered Jamie but she had Gracie to consider. Any time with her father was good for Gracie. And then we have very pregnant Amanda who is having the most difficult time thinking these women were still married to her Conrad.

Carolyn Brown has a great sense of humor. So while this is essentially a murder mystery as in who killed Conrad Steele while he was purchasing yellow roses at a florist Brown has us smiling page after amazing page.

In the meantime poor Kate has to deal with a detective dogging her every step. With her money she seems the likely candidate to either kill or arrange for the kill. All three wives have moved into Conrad’s cabin – each with their own personal reason. So we have three wives basically co-habiting while the investigation continues. Each there to claim that cabin as theirs.

Watching these three interact and somehow make the situation livable was beyond good entertainment. Each has personal issues aside from their doomed relationship with this conman. At one point each had loved Conrad. As the tale continues we start to see when cracks in the veneer began. Again pointing to Carolyn Brown’s love of the absurd – each of the marriages of these women are exactly seven years apart. Talk about a seven year itch. But what’s even worse – if anything could be – the elephant in the room. Are these three the only widows of Conrad Steele? How many others are going to pop up during the investigation?

Are you ready for a fabulous romp? THE BAREFOOT SUMMER by Carolyn Brown is at first a story about coming to grips with marriages that were not even legal. But that would be way too simple for Carolyn Brown. THE BAREFOOT SUMMER is about rediscovering the best part of who you are. Kate, Jamie and Amanda are good people that needed to see their future more clearly. Brown uses the women’s relationship as the vehicle to get them on the right path. For me THE BAREFOOT SUMMER is one of the best stories about women, friendship, love, trust and family.

The premise of this novel drew me in like a moth to a flame. Three women realize that they're married to the same man at the funeral promises to have numerous funny moments.In fact, it was about these women trying to find themselves. As they all try to runaway from it all to their husbands cabin, they find themselves being roommates instead. The two women, Kate and Jamie, I didn't mind but, Amanda, I just couldn't stand her! I think she really dragged the story down for me. This isn't what I was expecting but it was still decent.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it! How would you like to show up at your husbands funeral and find out he has 2 more wives. I would have tipped him out and beat him up, dead or not. LOL. These 3 handle things a little better than that. Don't want to give anything away, but he really should have behaved himself. It is amazing how 3 smart women can get taken advantage of, like these did. I will reread this in the future.

Felt as sweet as cherry pie story line even though the main theme was murder and bigamy.
Was a bit American for me, cowboy hats, ranches and cowboy boots.
Good believable characters though. Just wasn't expecting a cowboy romance from the cover.

Good old fashioned story telling combined with three great women and a terrific kid made this a pleasure to read. I hadn't read Brown before so thanks to Netgalley for introducing us. This is perfect for a lazy day (especially if it's dreary outside.) It's smart, it's funny, and it's thoroughly enjoyable. Two thumbs up!

When Kate Steele's estranged husband is murdered, she is shocked at the funeral when two more wives appear! Second wife Jamie and her sweet six year old daughter Gracie, and third wife Amanda who is pregnant! All three women are suspects in Conrad's murder and all three didn't even know about the other ones. The only thing Conrad had was a cabin and on hot summer day all three women go there to stay. Over the course of the summer, the three ladies become friends. It is a story of finding out your true self, of friends who become family, and of starting over. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for allowing me to read and review this book. I received an ARC copy of the book for an honest review.

This book is different, funny, entertaining and with the usual Ms Brown's writing style which I love! We have a dead man who was a polygamist and the three wives he left behind. The three wives Jamie, Kate and Amanda, cannot be more different and they don't have absolutely nothing in common except of course the husband!

The detective in charge of the investigation will have them as suspects until he can clarify the case. And he will develop feelings for one of them.

The characters are well developed, the plot is original and there is a nice mystery going on.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley

I really enjoyed reading this book. The premise of three wives at a funeral is certainly interesting and proves to be entertaining. It was great to see the three women grow and mellow. Conrad was a conman extraordinaire and took each of his "wives" to the Texas cottage on the lake. The wives are the prime suspects in his murder and the Dallas detective in charge follows them to Bootleg since he owns a ranch nearby. This book is funny and heart wrenching. Amanda is 6 months pregnant with his baby and Jamie has Gracie his 6 year old daughter. Kate is wealthy and the "first wife" of the three. A nice story and it's nice to see how the three women grew into a family and found new lives for themselves.

I'm a huge fan of Carolyn Brown's romances. They're filled with humor, fun, and a sage outlook on life and relationships. The premise of The Barefoot Summer sounded great: three women finding out they were married to the same man at the same time while attending his funeral. If he wasn't dead already they would've killed him! In fact they're all now suspects in his murder. The women are not happy to make each other's acquaintance, but have no choice when they all decide to spend time at their departed husband's cabin in Bootleg. Gradually they bond over their common situation.

As I said, I'm a fan of Ms. Brown's writing, but somehow this didn't have the same magic as her other stories for me. I liked Kate a lot, but I didn't connect with Jamie so much, and I just flat out didn't like Amanda. She was petulant, and snotty, IMO, and while she did improve by the end it didn't really change my impressions of her.

There wasn't much time given for the romance between Kate and Waylon, the detective working their case, and so while I wanted some happiness for Kate after all she went through, I wasn't completely sold on their relationship. Not enough time spent to develop chemistry or a relationship between these two for me.

I'm sure this reaction a fluke for me, usually I'm completely charmed and laughing when reading one of Carolyn Brown's stories.

A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The plot was engaging, the characters were endearing, and I was a little bit sad when it ended. The Barefoot Summer follows three women as they learn they were all widowed by the same con man. Heartfelt emotions and hilarity ensues. A must read!

Ms Brown writes, as usual, with a horribly unlikable protagonist- in this case a dead man who is a polygamist. And adorable (sort of) antagonists -in this case the three wives Conrad left behind. Each of these wives are as different as night and day and that works to the stories advantage.

Difficulties emerge when the Detective working this murder case starts having feelings for one of the suspects (one of the wives. Yes, all of the wives are initially suspects.)

The reasons I have for not being amazed by this novel is that I felt that Gracie (the child of the middle wife) was just too saccharin sweet, took up to much room in the book that could have been devoted more to the romance/murder aspect and that the conflict among the wives shouldn't have been 'fixed' so quickly. I started to get a bit annoyed with Kate and her waffling; I could understand it, but the fact that she kept going over the same things over and over again was a little too much.

All of that aside though -this was a read that kept me going until late in the night wanting to see how everything ended. The character's are well developed, the story was a bit unique and the mystery was, well, mysterious.

This book was written with Ms Brown's usual mixing the funny and absurd with the serious and she had a good hand with giving each of our wives (Jamie, Kate and Amanda) a unique 'voice' and personality. Some author's seem to have a bit of a problem with this.

If you are a fan of say, Fannie Flagg, I won't say that Ms Brown rates as highly as that - you will most likely enjoy Ms Brown's books -but she is on her way of being a very notable Southern chick-lit author with a great sense of style!

ARC supplied by publisher.

another fab book by this author. The writing style is elegant yet simple, and the story flows effortlessly through out the book. This writer has a fab way of giving the area surrounding the characters a fantastic atmosphere. A wonderful heartfelt romance story to keep you reading long into the night. This story has a dramatic storyline. I just couldn't put it down till id got to the last page and then I was left wanting more and more. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future.

Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Four stars: A delightful and heart warming story that starts out a bit prickly when three widows learn they were all married at the same time to a con man.

Kate Steele can't stand one more moment in the broiling heat. To make matters worse, she is attending the funeral of her deceased husband, who was unexpectedly murdered. Kate feels nothing for the man she was married to for fourteen years. He was despicable and she is glad to be rid of him, but she quickly finds out he isn't going away anytime soon. Kate is shocked to find that her dead husband had two other wives: Amanda and Jamie. Jamie is a fiery gal with a six year old daughter, who wishes Conrad was alive so she could strangle him herself when she learns the truth. Amanda, on the other hand, is a sobbing mess. Pregnant and twenty eight, she is convinced there was a mistake because her precious Conrad loved her. The three woman then find themselves all sharing the same roof. Will sparks fly or will they make peace with their situation?
What I Liked:
*The Barefoot Summer is a departure for Carolyn Brown, but a delightful one for sure. This is a humorous and heart warming story about three women who learn they were all conned by and married to the same despicable and now deceased man. Sparks fly, secrets are spilled, followed by sunshine days and a sisterhood. I loved seeing the friendships form and the new beginnings for each woman.
*I enjoyed the diversity of characters. Kate, the first wife, is wealthy, beautiful, a career driven woman who has no time for vacations and frivolity. Jaime is a firecracker, who is determined to protect her daughter at all costs. Amanda, is naive and hormonal, but she grows on you. Add in Victor and Hazel, the charming elderly neighbors who have been life long friends, as well as one determined detective and you have an entertaining and eclectic bunch of people who entertain you throughout.
*I loved that despite the trying circumstances and the hardship, that each woman found her peace and a new path. Their journeys are all different, but each was interesting to watch. I can't decide who grew and changed the most: Kate or Amanda. Needless to say, I loved watching them all blossom.
*Victor and Hazel are absolutely charming. They are two elderly citizens of Bootleg, who take an interest in the three women. They have been life long friends, but never dated, and they have a standing date on the Ferris Wheel every year. I loved these two, they added heart and charm to the story.
*I throughly enjoyed the small town setting of Bootleg. I was expecting a town full of whispers and gossip, but was pleasantly surprised by the goodwill and kindness all the townsfolk extended to the trio. No ugliness, backbiting or gossip in this town. I was ready to pack up and go spend a lazy day on the lake in Bootleg myself after reading this one. This is the perfect escape read, especially in winter.
There is a bit of romance as well. It was simple and subtle, and just right.
*The ending was delightful. I loved the Epilogue one year down the road, and I was surprised by some of the outcomes. It was perfect.
And The Not So Much:
*Amanda was trying early on. She is hormonal, naive and crying all the time. I was irritated with her at first, but thankfully, she wakes up and realizes the truth. After that, I enjoyed her much more. She requires some patience, but she is worth the time and effort.
*I was disappointed that there wasn't movement with the relationship between Kate and her mother. Not a big deal, but I wished her mother had been more understanding.
*Even though I loved seeing how the girls had fared one year ahead, I was sad that I didn't get to experience some of the highlights, especially when it came to the romances. I wish that we could have gotten three books, one from each girl's point of view.

The Barefoot Summer is an entertaining and delightful tale that follows three women who unexpectedly are thrown together by a con man. I loved watching the ladies blossom and grow and form a sisterhood. This is a perfect escape book for winter or any time of the year. Good old fashioned comfort reading. Don't miss this!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

The basic premise of this book makes it interesting. One man, three different wives. Conrad had it all—including three wives, who finally meet up for the first time and realize what a snake Conrad, was at his funeral. First wife was Kate. Born into an oil dynasty company family, Kate was older than the other two, self-assured, obviously from and in money, but not overly full of herself or her wealth that she could not relate to others. Second wife was Jamie. Not rich like Kate, Jamie was a school teacher, a strong woman, mother to Conrad’s only child, Gracie, made of steel and wishing she had been the one to end Conrad’s life, rather than the bullet during a robbery at a florist, and charade. Last was Amanda. Amanda was the youngest, most recent wife, very pregnant with Conrad’s child, still dreamily in love with the man she thought Conrad was and ready to protect his legacy (until she realizes what he really was). After his death, the three women move to Conrad’s cabin, where each spent her honeymoon with the snake Conrad. Over a summer, we meet them, watch them move on past Conrad and accept what is for what it is, as each grows in different ways as well as grows to like and enjoy each other. The big character in the story, however, is little Gracie, a tender seven-year old and Conrad’s only child, who steals and warms the hearts of everyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a bit different from many of the others I have read recently. Though the basic story line could have gone in many different directions, I like the one the author chose. She made the story about these three uniquely different women who came together when they had only one thing (a very big thing, I acknowledge) in common, Conrad. This was a story of growth, love, interactions, acceptance of what is, and of letting go of the past. The characters were all well developed and likable, especially Gracie. In many ways, Gracie was the glue that held the trio together, made them a unit. I cannot see anyone not falling in love with this innocent child, who sometimes care across as wise beyond her years and who sometimes understood more than anyone gave her credit for. Without Gracie, the story would have been very different and may not have turned out as it did. I think the author struck a good balance with the three wives. Each had strengths they brought to the table. Each had weaknesses, or limits, that were complimented nicely by the other wives. It was definitely fascinating to watch them grow as a unit as well as individuals. Conrad may have been a snake, but he did bring them together, and I think they and the reader realized this one good thing about him by the end of the story. I highly recommend this book. It provided me a lot of enjoyment as well as an understanding of how strange, seemingly difficult, situations help make our lives what they are, while challenging each person to grow into what reality brings. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

“The Barefoot Summer,” is Carolyn Brown’s latest novel and her best so far. Kate Steele finds herself baking in the hot Texas sun as she buries her husband, a man that she had not cared for in a long time when she takes note of the other attendees. Jamie Mendoza has also come to bury her husband and the father of her daughter Gracie when she notices a pregnant redhead who begins to wail because her husband is being buried. When all three women figure out that they were all married to the dirty rotten scoundrel, Conrad Steele, chaos ensues. They each believe they are the rightful heir and in order to come to grips with the new information they each head to the cabin that held the most positive memories of their married life. The women begin to reevaluate their lives and future while realizing that family does not always mean related by blood, but by a strong bond of love and respect. This is a fast-paced read that will make you laugh and cry until the last words are read. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

One husband, three wives, and you know there is going to be drama. I never imagined that these three women could find common ground and come to accept what Conrad did to them. Each wife was unique.
‘
Kate came from old money and was the “first wife”. She had strength and self-assurance that the other wives seemed to not have. She also was the only one that knew what a snake Conrad was. I liked her for being just another victim. She didn’t hold it over anyone’s head that she had money or that she was the first wife. She accepted that Conrad played them all for fools. I felt like she became the mother figure for the other women guiding them in moving past Conrad and finding their own strengths and happiness.

Jamie was the only wife that has a daughter by Conrad and wished that he was alive for Gracie. Yet, she proved her strength by staying strong for Gracie and going for what she believed was theirs. While I was sad that Gracie lost her father, it was soon shown that he wasn’t such a great father anyways. What went straight to my heart about Jamie and Gracie is how Gracie felt about her father’s death. I think we sometimes think the little ones don’t understand or will just bounce back and forget that they don’t always understand the reasoning behind something happening to someone they loved.

The last wife and the newest is Amanda. She is young and pregnant and so in love with Conrad. She is determined to keep his legacy alive for their unborn child. Slowly she realizes what a con man Conrad was and figures out how to accept that. Amanda is the baby of the group. She is the last one to understand exactly what Conrad was.

Each women has the chance to start over, accept a new life, and make new friends in their journey to Bootleg.

I really enjoyed reading The Barefoot Summer by Carolyn Brown and am excited to share my thoughts on this great book. I recommend picking up your own copy.

This will post on Jan 5 at http://www.hottbooks.com/?p=41112#.WGxL8RsrLcs

I keep saying I’m going to stop reading books by Carolyn Brown because I don’t like the profanity that I’ve found in her books. But boy am I glad I haven’t stopped yet.

The Barefoot Summer is one of the best books I’ve read. Ever. It tears at your heart while giving you hope. It’s completely honest but there’s a hint of mystery. It’s compelling, provoking, and comforting. I loved it.

The story of Kate, Jamie, and Amanda seems so unlikely, yet I know that it isn’t. My heart broke for them as they found out exactly how deceptive their husband was. But the way they bonded and helped each other heal and start over shows a strength and love that I can only hope to attain. These women are all people I want to be when I grow up… though hopefully I never find myself in that situation!

All in all, whether you love romance or women’s fiction The Barefoot Summer is a book you won’t want to miss!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.